Seat support



, Dec. 31, 19 46. w K|EFER 2,413,455

SEAT SUPPORT I Filed 001:. 11, 1945 Patented Dec. 31, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ssa'r SUPPORT Walter .LKiefer, Belvid ere, 111.

Application October 11, 1943*, S'eri'alNo'. 505,115

Claims. (Cl. 155-'95)- This invention relates to seat sup-ports and has special reference to a seat support having a novel form of return mechanism for returning a revolving chair or seat to a preselected position when vacated by the occupant.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of 'a seat support having a chair return mechanism which is cheaper to make than prior art types, which is simpler in form, and which operates smoothly and without noise.

The object is also to produce a construction which is positive in operation as distinguished from those in which the force of gravity is relied upon for returning the chair.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations and top views, respectively, showing seat returns of the character'contemplated by this invention;

2 In the present embodiment of the inventionthe chair is carried upon the pedestal 8', the pedestal being secured in the floor and having a central here I 43. Attached'to the bottom of the chair seat F2 is a spider having, in this instance, three arms I l5, l6 and ll' attached to the seat by means or Fig. 3 is a top view of the chair return mechanismviewed from a plane directly under the seat of the chair;

Fig. l is a fragmentary View similar to Fig. 3, partly in section, showing the parts in position when the chair is rotated toward the end of its movement in one direction;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the seat return mechanism.

While the seat support is of general utility, Figs. 1 and 2 are shown for the purpose of illustrating one advantageous use in which the numeral 1 designates a restaurant counter or bar having a Series of chairs arranged therein in spaced relation as shown in Fig. 2, the chairs being rotatably supported on pedestals 8 usually secured in the floor. As is well recognized in the art, this chair arrangement presents some problem in maintaining an orderly arrangement of the chairs, and for this purpose it is common practice to provide seat return mechanism arranged to rotate the chair or seat to a preselected position. Thus, as the occupant leaves the chair it is rotated to a position such as that shown at 9 in Fig. 2,, and it is desirable that as soon as the occupant releases the chair it should be returned to the position shown at II with the seat portion [2 disposed adjacent the counter and the back portion 13 spaced therefrom. The present invention is directed to a mechanism adapted to automatically return the chair to the position shown at l I and to permit the chair to be rotated to a position approaching that shown at 9 to permit the occupant to vacate the chair with a minimum of inconvenience.

screws as: indicated at i8, the spider. having a spindle [9' depending therefrom. The spindle has alarger portion 2! adjacent the bottom of the seat. terminating in a spindle 22 of smaller diameter adapted to be received in the bore M. f the pedestal, a shoulder 23 being disposed between the two portions of the spindle adapted to rest on an antiefriction bearing 24 disposed in a counterbore 25 at the upper end of the pedestal. The portion 2| of the spindle has gear teeth disposed annularly thereof as indicated: at 26, these teeth forming the pinion ofiarack and pinion assembly, as will presently become apparent.

Attached to the pedestal adj acentthe upper end thereof is a bracket 21 secured in-v position by means of cap screws 28, the bracket having a cy-- lindrical opening for. the. passage of a rod 2%, the rod being secured therein against movement by a set screw 3!... The bracket also has. a rectangular slot 32 disposed opposite the pinion 26, this slot serving'as a: supportand guide for a rack bar 33 having a plurality of teeth 34 disposed-therealong and; arranged to engage-theteeth of the pinion 2t. The-bracket 21 supports the bar from below and also assistsinretaining the bar to prevent it from being forced out .of. engagement with the pinion. The ends of the rack bar 33 haveiianges $55 and 38 disposed substantially at right. angles, to the main expanse. of the bar, the flanges having openings 31 and138 for the. free reception of the rod 29 (note Fig. 4). Disposed between the bracket 21 and the flanges! 3.5: and 36 are coiled springs 39 and ii coilecl about thev rod. 29,.these springs being of the same length and substantially the same properties so thattwhen the pinion, 2G occupies a central location on the rack bar 553' as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the. springswill be compressed to substantially the same extent.

The previously described mechanism is attached to the bottom of the chair seat in such manner that the central portion of the rack 33 engages the gear when the seat faces the counter in the manner shown at l l in Fig. 2 and the springs 39 and 4| are then equally stressed. It will be seen that when the seat is rotated about the spindle 22 to the position shown at Fl in response to evacuation of the chair by an occupant, the pinion 26 is rotated, moving the rack toward one end in the manner shown in Fig. 4, thereby compressing the spring 39. When the chair is released the spring 39, bearing against the flange 35, forces the rack back to its normal position, the rack driving the spindle and the chair in response to this movement, thereby returning the chair to the normal position as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Likewise, if the chair is rotated in a clockwise direction facing Fig. 2, the pinion 26 construction is that the spindle rotates ona horizontal bearing and therefore, a ball bearing such as shown at 24, may be employed to facilitate the ease of rotation. Furthermore, the elevation of the seat does not change during the rotation, and for this reason the chair is more easily rotated by the occupant in the act of vacating the chair.

I claim:

1. The combination in a chair-return mechanism for chairs of the type having a stationary support and a chair seat rotatable thereon, of a spindle arranged for attachment to the bottom of a chair seat to depend therefrom shaped for reception in said stationary support for rotation on a vertical axis about a fixed center, a pinion on said spindle rotatable therewith and with said chair seat, gear means disposed between said pinion and said support driven by said pinion, spring means disposed between said gear means and the stationary support stressed by movement of said gear means in response to rotation of said chair seat in one direction out of a preselected position and driving said pinion from said gear means upon release of said chair seat to return said chair seat to said preselected position.

2. The combination in a chair-return mechanism for chairs of the type having a stationary support and a chair seat rotatable thereon, of a spindle arranged for attachment to the bottom of said chair seat to depend therefrom shaped for reception in said stationary support for rotation on a fixed vertical axis, a pinion on said spindle rotatable therewith and with said chair seat, a

rack driven in translatory movement by said pinion upon rotation of said seat, means for supporting said rack on the stationary support, and a spring acting between said rack and said stationary support positioned to be stressed upon translatory movement of the rack in response to rotation of the chair seat out of a preselected position and to drive said rack and return said chair seat to said position upon release of the latter.

3. The combination in a chair-return mechanism for chairs of the type having a stationary support and a chair seat rotatable thereon, of a thereof 4 spindle arranged for attachment to the bottom of said chair seat to depend therefrom shaped for reception in said stationary support for rotation on a vertical axis, a pinion on said spindle rotatable therewith and with said chair seat, a rack engaging said pinion and driven thereby in either of two opposed directions upon rotation of said seat in opposite directions, said rack having spaced abutments, and springs between said abutments and said stationary support to normally maintainsaid chair seat in a preselected position, positioned to be selectively stressed upon movement of said rack in said opposite directions by rotation of said seat out of said preselected position and to drive said rack and said pinion to return said chair seat to said position upon release thereof.

- 4. The combination in a chair-return mechanism for chairsof the type having a stationary support and a chair seat rotatable thereon, of a spindle arranged for attachment to the bottom of said chair seat to depend therefrom shaped for reception in said stationary support for rotation on a vertical axis, a pinion on said spindle rotatable therewith and with said chair seat, a rack engaging said pinion and driven thereby in either of two opposed directions upon rotation of said seat in opposite directions, said rack having spaced abutments, and springs between said abutments and said stationary support to normally maintain said chair seat in a preselected position, positioned to be selectively stressed upon movement of said rack in said opposite directions by rotation of said seat out of said preselected position and to drive said rack and said pinion to return said chair seat to said position upon release thereof, and guide means on said support for supporting and guiding said rack.

5. The combination in a chair-return mechanism for chairs of the type having a stationary support and a chair seat rotatable thereon, of a spindle arranged for attachment to the bottom of said chair seat to depend therefrom shaped for reception in said stationary support for rotation on a vertical axis, a pinion on said spindle rotatable therewith and with said chair seat, a rack engaging said pinion and driven thereby in either of two opposed directions upon rotation of said seat in opposite directions, said rack having spaced abutments, a guide rod on said stationary support passing through said abutments to support said rack, coiled compression springs on said guide rod acting between said abutments and said stationary support to normally maintain said chair seat in a preselected position, positioned to be selectively stressed upon movement of said rack in said opposite directions by rotation of said seat out of said preselected position and to drive said rack and said pinion to return said chair seat to said position upon release WALTER J. KIEFER. 

